


Stepping Stones

by Settiai



Category: Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Crystal Palace (Web Series)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Crystal Palace, F/F, Fear, First Meetings, Flashbacks, One Shot, Panic Attacks, Yuletide, Yuletide 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21827572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Settiai/pseuds/Settiai
Summary: Sometimes the path is straight and easy to follow. Sometimes the ground crumbles under your feet. The important thing is to keep moving forward.... well, and to not look too closely at the shadows. Just in case.
Relationships: Alexandra Elise O'Neill/Hanako Hayashi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 36
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	Stepping Stones

**Author's Note:**

  * For [navaan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/gifts).



Alexandra was bored out of her mind.

It wasn't a particularly unusual occurrence at society events such as the one she was attending, and if she was honest with herself she'd much prefer to be... well, almost anywhere else. While some leeway could be given to a woman in her position, however, there were certain niceties that she had to at least pay homage to while back in London. Whether she wanted to do so or not.

Hence her being at a party instead of doing something practical with her time.

The one good thing about her reputation is that, while she always drew people's attention when she first arrived at any type of gala, most quickly lost interest once they realized she would answer any questions they asked in great detail – especially if those details were the type that were not typically brought up in polite society. It was a quite useful means of escape that she found herself using quite often.

Admittedly, there were always a few young ladies and gentlemen who weren't driven away so easily, but they tended to be better company than most. And, well, it was nice to have someone to talk to from time to time. Among other things.

Alexandra took another sip of her drink as she let her gaze drift over the room. It was getting late enough that she would be able to slip away before too much longer. The event itself had been dreadfully dull, even by the normal standards, and she was more than ready to put it behind her.

Then she narrowed her eyes.

A well-dressed Asian woman around her own age was hurrying down the stairs, moving just slowly enough to not draw attention but clearly trying to put some distance between her and the upstairs floors. Normally, Alexandra would assume that the woman had been taking advantage of the empty rooms above them to have a moment of impropriety, but there was just something about her that seemed off.

Her dress was slightly mussed, but it didn't look like it had come from someone's hands. It looked... well, honestly, it looked like Alexandra's dresses did in the aftermath of her slipping into some building or room that wasn't meant to be easily entered. Add in the fact that the woman was staying close to the edges of the room, purposefully trying not to draw any attention to herself, and it painted a pretty picture.

Especially since Alexandra was starting to hear yelling coming from upstairs.

Alexandra made a split-second decision and started on an intersection path with the woman, moving slowly but deliberately. She was curious and, if nothing else, it looked like her evening might be able to become a bit more interesting. That in itself made it worth it.

It was easy to maneuver herself into position, especially as the yelling from upstairs got louder. Many of the other guests were starting to notice it, their attention drawn to the staircase. None of them were paying attention to two women making their way in opposite directions along the far wall of the room. They might as well have been invisible.

"Something seems to have happened upstairs," Alexandra said as she stepped up beside the woman she'd noticed, her tone a careful mix of curious and amused.

The woman stopped walking away, and she glanced over at Alexandra. "It seems that way, doesn't it?" she replied politely. The only thing giving her away was the way that her hand reflexively tightened around something that she was clutching.

Alexandra smiled at her before letting her gaze drop down to the small box that the woman was holding tightly in her hand. It looked old, from at least three or four centuries back and probably longer than that. Based on its decorations, she would be willing to bet that it was Japanese in origin, although she couldn't tell much more than that.

Her gaze flickered back towards the woman's face. "It does," she agreed. "I wonder what could have possibly happened."

Concern flickered across the woman's face, there and gone so fast that Alexandra wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't been specifically watching her, and her grip tightened around the small box that she was still holding carefully in her hand. Alexandra didn't doubt for a second that whatever was causing the commotion upstairs had something to do with the woman standing in front of her. The proper thing to do would be to immediately turn around and go find someone in a position of authority.

Then again, Alexandra had never been the type of woman that most people in polite society would refer to as "proper."

"Give it to me," she said, keeping her voice low.

The other woman blinked, confusion evident on her face. "I'm certain that I have no idea what you could possibly be—"

"I have a hidden pocket inside my skirts," Alexandra said, cutting her off. "I can smuggle it out of here for you, and then you can tell me exactly what it is that I helped you steal over drinks."

There was a long pause as the woman stared at her, clearly trying to read something in her expression, and Alexandra thought she was going to refuse her despite everything. Then the woman sighed and all but shoved the box in Alexandra's hands. "'Steal' is such a harsh word," she said lightly. "I prefer to think of it as helping return it to its proper owners." She hesitated a moment before adding: "Thank you."

Alexandra carefully slipped the box through the hidden seam in her skirts that she'd sewn for a very specific purpose, shooting the woman a quick smile as she did so. Within a few seconds, it was as if it had never existed, although she could feel the light weight of the box pulling ever so slightly against the cloth of her clothing.

The other woman's eyebrows went up. "My name is Hanako," she said, taking a step closer to Alexandra as several men wearing the uniforms of private guards rushed past them towards the doorway that led outside. The men didn't even glance at the two of them. "Hanako Hayashi."

"Alexandra Elise O'Neill," Alexandra said politely, following the guards with her eyes but carefully not moving her head.

Hanako followed them with her own gaze as well. "I believe this soiree might be coming to an end," she said, not even trying to hide the amusement in her voice. "It's such a shame."

Alexandra's mouth twitched. "Such a shame," she agreed. "Still, I believe that I promised a drink."

"That you did," Hanako said with a nod. Her eyes flickered back in the direction of the front door, where a well-dressed man who Alexandra vaguely recognized as their host that evening was arguing with several uniformed men. 

Alexandra offered Hanako her arm. "I suspect that everyone will start to leave in a moment," she said, careful to keep her voice low. "We can slip in with them and be gone without anyone being the wiser."

Hana gave her a small smile in return. Then her gaze moved up and down Alexandra's body in a way that was very easy to interpret. "Well then," she said. "Lead the way. I believe you promised me a drink." Her mouth twitched. "Among other things."

Alexandra raised her eyebrows, but all she did in reply was give Hana a slight nod before moving forward and joining the ever-growing crowd trying to leave.

*

"Did I mention that I got the most curious letter?"

Alexandra raised her eyebrows as she rolled over in bed, watching as Hana leaned down to pick up the camisole she'd let drop onto the floor the moment she'd gotten out of it earlier that evening. It had been almost a year since they'd last seen each other, and they'd both been perhaps a bit more eager than they should have been to reacquaint themselves with each other.

Hana glanced over at her and quirked an eyebrow of her own.

"A letter?" Alexandra asked obediently, her attention still more focused on Hana's body than her words.

"Yes," Hana said, rolling her eyes. "A letter. One that I think might be of interest to you, considering it looks like you have one as well."

 _That_ , at least, got Alexandra's attention. Her eyes narrowed, and she pushed herself up into a sitting position on the bed. "You got a notice from Merriweather as well?" she asked.

Hana nodded. "I did," she said. "Two days ago. It was... quite an interesting proposition."

"That's one way to put it," Alexandra said slowly. She tilted her head a bit. "Are you going to tell him 'yes?'"

The corners of Hana's mouth twitched as she gave her a slight shrug. "I already did," she said sheepishly. "He made an offer that I couldn't refuse."

Alexandra's eyebrows went up a bit at that. "That must have been some offer," she replied. Then she let out a soft laugh. "When was the last time you... how is it that you like to put it, helped return something to its proper owners?"

"Long enough ago that I wasn't going to turn Mr. Merriweather down when he offered this challenge to me on a silver platter," Hana shot back, not even trying to hide her grin.

Alexandra couldn't help but grin back at her, even as she shook her head. "Of course."

Hana stretched, drawing Alexandra's gaze to a light scar on her abdomen that she'd noticed earlier. "You never told me where that was from," she said, gesturing at the scar with her eyes. "It's new."

"What?" Hana glanced down, following Alexandra's gaze. She tensed, just barely, so subtly that Alexandra probably wouldn't have even noticed if she hadn't been watching so closely. "Oh, that little thing. It was horrible. Can you believe that I was mugged? What is this city coming to, someone stealing from a woman as she waits for a hansom cab?"

Alexandra didn't roll her eyes. It took some effort, but she resisted the urge. "Yes, yes," she said impatiently, "I understand that's the story you probably told your parents. I'd like to know what _actually_ happened."

Hana laughed at that before reaching down to grab another piece of discarded clothing from the floor, although it seemed just a bit forced. "I was diving through a broken window, and I misjudged how much space I had." She gave a theatrical sigh. "In my defense, the guards were right behind me."

The two of them had known each other long enough that Alexandra could tell that, while Hana wasn't actually lying, there was more to the story. That said, she also knew her well enough to know better than to press the issue. If Hana didn't want to tell her exactly what had happened, then nothing short of divine intervention was going to get her to do so.

"I suppose you learned your lesson at least?" Alexandra asked.

For just a moment, something darker than Alexandra was used to seeing flashed in Hana's eyes. Then Hana laughed, and just like that it was gone. "Oh yes," she agreed. "I very much learned my lesson."

Alexandra sighed and gave up on getting any type of proper answer. "What do you think of this Merriweather's request?" she asked. "He made me a very good offer as well, but it seems almost—"

"Too good to be true?" Hana suggested, cutting in.

Alexandra shrugged. "Well, yes."

Hana let out a quiet laugh. "I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who felt that way."

"And yet you already told him you'd participate in this little caper," Alexandra said dryly. "You've really been that bored?"

"Oh, you have no idea," Hana said. Then her mouth shifted into a smirk. "In fact—"

Alexandra wasn't even remotely surprised when Hana let the garments she'd been gathering up drop back to the floor. It had been a long time for both of them. She'd honestly been expecting it.

They both had their weaknesses, after all.

*

Alexandra wondered if she'd ever stop sleeping with the lights turned on in the room. She knew that she had to get over the fear that had plagued her for months now, that she couldn't stay in London with its easily available electric lights forever. At some point, she had to face her demons or she'd never be able to return to the life that she'd been living for so long now.

She just wasn't ready to do so. Not yet.

"You need to get some sleep."

Alexandra glanced over at Hana, her gaze lingering on the dark shadows under Hana's own eyes. "So do you," she snapped back at her. "Of course, knowing that doesn't seem to be helping either of us actually manage it, with or without these damn lights on."

She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth, especially when Hana's eyes narrowed in a way that promised punishment of some type. And, most likely, not any of the more fun ones.

"I didn't mean that," Alexandra said with a sigh, rolling over onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. "You know I didn't mean that. I'm just tired."

Hana didn't say anything for a long moment. Then the bed moved as she got up, the sound of her footsteps as she walked across the floor as loud as gunshots in the silence.

Alexandra closed her eyes, silently counting to twenty as she resisted the urge to get up as well. If Hana had gotten out of bed, she had a reason for doing so, and trying to follow her would only make things worse if she was planning on leaving. And if she wasn't going to leave, well, she probably still needed a moment or two on her own.

That was something Alexandra had learned quickly. Neither of them did well in cages, whether it be ones of their own making or not.

Her mental count reached twenty, and Alexandra took in deep breath before letting it out again. Then she opened her eyes again, another apology already on the tip of her tongue.

All she saw was darkness.

The words died on her lips, and her breath caught in her throat. Then, just like that, she was back at the Crystal Palace. The shadows were moving in on her, and there was no light to chase them away. Their companions were disappearing, their own reflections turning against them, and there was nothing they could do to stop it except run.

Alexandra couldn't breathe.

The bed shifted beside her, and a hand suddenly caught hers in a tight grip. It wasn't much in the grand scheme of things, but it was enough. Alexandra held onto it like a lifeline.

"You're not there," Hana's voice said firmly, a shadowy form that Alexandra could just make out in the darkness as her eyes slowly adjusted. " _We're_ not there."

The sensible part of Alexandra knew that Hana was telling the truth. It had been four months since that waking nightmare, and there had been no sign of the shadows that had stalked them since then. There wasn't any reason for her to fear the dark. She never had before, not even as a child. All that fear did was trap her and keep her from going back to the life that she desperately missed.

And yet...

"Alexandra, listen to me." Hana's voice was firmer, her grip on Alexandra's hand tightening to an almost painful one as she reached up to rest her free hand on the side of her face. "Listen to me. We're not there."

Alexandra closed her eyes again, trying to force herself to breathe in and out. It was much harder than it should have been, but it wasn't the first time she'd found herself suffering from the vapors over the years so she at least knew what to do.

The fact that Hana's hand was still held tightly in her own helped a lot.

After what felt like a lifetime, Alexandra's felt the tightness in her chest start to lessen. She slowly opened her eyes again, blinking a few times before her eyes made out the shadowy figure of Hana beside her.

"You could have warned me," she said, her voice a bit weaker than she would have liked.

Hana let out a thoroughly unladylike snort. "Like you warned me when you decided it would be good for me if you—"

"Yes, yes, point taken," Alexandra said quickly, cutting her off. Hana had only just forgiven her for accepting a request on her behalf, and the last thing she wanted was to start that fight again.

There was silence for a moment before Hana cleared her throat. "Neither of us was going to be able to sleep with those lights on," she said. "You know that we wouldn't."

Alexandra sighed. "Yes," she agreed reluctantly. "I know."

Hana squeezed her hand again before leaning in to hesitantly press a kiss against Alexandra's shoulder. Or, at least, that's where Alexandra assumed she was aiming. In the darkness, Hana's lips ended up coming closer to her breast, but it was a chaste enough kiss that she was fairly certain that wasn't the intended target.

"We both need to get some sleep," Hana said softly. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Alexandra couldn't help but let out a dry laugh. "I'm fairly certain it's tomorrow already," she said, well aware that it had to be long past midnight by then. Then she grimaced. "You know what I mean."

Hana laughed. Then she leaned closer to Alexandra and pressed a kiss against the corner of her mouth, mostly innocent but with a hint of promise in it. "I know what you mean," she said. "Now close your eyes and try to get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

In the darkness, Hana looked like nothing more than a shadow there beside her on the bed. A shiver of cold ran up Alexandra's spine, but she did her best to ignore it.

Alexandra slowly closed her eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Twitter. (https://twitter.com/settiai)


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